1238 
the rural new-yokker 
December 7, 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
Enclosed find literature sent me by the 
Franklin Institute, Rochester, N. Y. As I 
should like to prepare to take an exam¬ 
ination for rural mail carrier, I answered 
this advertisement, but have sent no money 
yet. Do you know anything about the 
school? Do you know if there is any other 
way to prepare for such an examination 
without taking a correspondence course? 
Pennslvania. l. w. 
The experience of our subscribers 
who have sent money to this and simi¬ 
lar concerns has been such as to cause 
us to advise this young man to get the 
information he desires in some more ef¬ 
fective and less costly way. If he will 
direct his inquiry to the Post Office De¬ 
partment, Washington, D. C., he will 
get the advice desired without charge. 
I saw the advertisement of Edward J. 
Woods, Inc., New York City, in another 
periodical. He offers a treatment to cure 
the tobacco habit, the price of which is $5. 
I was to pay $1 down and the other $4 
when I received the package. I would like 
your opinion about his method of doing 
business? A. A. F. 
Vermont. 
We know many of the tobacco and 
drink cures contain habit-forming drugs, 
such as cocaine, opium, etc. These drugs 
destroy the appetite for tobacco and 
whisky, but leave the victim with an 
appetite for these drugs, which are more 
dangerous than the original trouble. We 
have no definite information as to the 
ingredients of this particular treatment, 
but from our general information re¬ 
garding these cures our people will do 
well to avoid all of them. 
We hold two protested checks of Mr. 
Jack Awner, commission merchant, 312 
Greenwich street, New York City, of 
September 20th and 28th dates respec¬ 
tively, in favor of Mr. J. W. Wheeler, a 
New York State shipper. The two 
checks amount to $21.14. We have writ¬ 
ten Mr. Awner repeatedly, asking him 
to make good these checks, and his in¬ 
difference in the matter does not offer 
much encouragement for other farmers 
to ship him produce. It is this class of 
commission merchants who make some 
legislation which will protect shippers 
imperative. Once more we repeat the 
advice not to ship produce of any kind 
to commission merchants or others 
without having some definite and posi¬ 
tive information regarding the relia¬ 
bility and responsibility of the party to 
whom you are shipping. 
Please tell us where the catch, if any, 
is in the enclosed proposition. Five dol¬ 
lars looks too cheap to us to be good, and 
perhaps there might be a hook or crook 
where more fives might be coming later. 
What is your opinion? j. u. s. 
Michigan. 
Circular matter of the Advertisers’ 
Co-operative Association of Chicago is 
enclosed with the above letter. In ex¬ 
planation of this scheme it*is probably 
necessary to go back to the originator 
of all this advanced fee for selling 
farms, w T ho was Mr. W. M. Ostrander, 
formerly of Philadelphia. His plan was 
to advertise the marvellous facilities he 
had for selling farms, and on the 
strength of this induced people with 
farms for sale to send him $15, $20, $25 
or $50, as the case may be, in advance, 
for the privilege of listing the farm in 
his catalogue. We could never find 
where Mr. Ostrander sold any farms, 
but he was evidently growing rich out 
of the advanced fees received from 
farmers having property for sale. The 
Rural New-Yorker exposed the scheme 
to such an extent that other publications 
refused to advertise it, and finally he 
was driven out of this particular line of 
business. Ever since that time there 
have been real estate men from one end 
of the country to the other using Os¬ 
trander’s plan with variations, but with 
all of them you have to send money in 
advance for the sale of the property. 
We regret to say that a number of the 
publishers of mail order publications, 
such as Currier’s, Woman’s World of 
Chicago, Darbyshire of Rochester, and 
Myrick of Springfield, Mass., all worked 
the scheme. Take it as a rule concern¬ 
ing any concern asking for money in ad¬ 
vance for the sale of your property, they 
are good people to leave alone. 
I notice that you take an interest in 
“get-rich-quick” concerns. Enclosed find 
circular of Marvelous wheat. What do you 
think about it? J. c. l. 
New Jersey. 
The circular enclosed with the above 
letter is issued by the O. K. Seed Store. 
Indianapolis, Ind., describing this Mar¬ 
velous wheat. Our information is that 
the O. K. Seed Store is one of the names 
assumed by our old friend, J. A. Everett, 
whose operations in the seed business 
have been frequently shown up in The 
R. N.-Y. The claims made for this 
wheat by Everett fully sustain his pre¬ 
vious reputation. We have it on good 
authority that what Mr. Everett calls 
Marvelous wheat has been known and 
advertised by responsible houses as Mir¬ 
acle wheat. It is an old trick of Mr. 
Everett to give an established variety 
of seed a new name and in this way get 
an extravagant price for it. The Miracle 
wheat is credited as being a strong 
stooler, and on this account the origi¬ 
nator and growers of the variety recom¬ 
mend that only one-half bushel of seed 
per acre is required. Mr. Everett, as 
usual, attempts to outdo the originator 
and recommends one peck to the acre. 
On this wild claim his circular asks 
farmers to pay the fabulous price of $5 
per bushel; During, the past season the 
most reliable houses in the trade offered 
this wheat at $3 per bushel. The ridicu¬ 
lous claims made by such unreliable 
seedsmen is the best sort of argument 
why farmers should entrust their seed 
orders only to houses of established 
reputation for honesty and reliability. 
Will you kindly let me know as soon as 
possible about the Silverton Publishing Co., 
of Chicago? They want my son to canvass 
for them. They want $10, of course. My 
son is young and I hate to see him get 
fleeced. h. r. c. 
Connecticut. 
The letter sent out by the Silverton 
Pub. Co. accompanying their contract to 
be signed by the applicant is about as 
picturesque a sample of “guff” as any¬ 
thing that has reached our desk in some 
time. The applicant is flattered by the 
favorable opinion which the Silverton 
Pub. Co. hold of his ability and stand¬ 
ing; no previous experience is required 
to take up the work, and success is so 
easy. The work is not only easy, but 
pleasant, and $20 per week salary and 
all expenses is promised. In addition to 
the salary a commission of 15 per cent, 
is allowed on all money sent by other 
agents whom you may appoint. This 
proposition sounds so good and liberal 
that the applicant immediately feels that 
his fortune is well-nigh assured. If you 
stop and ask yourself where is the joker 
in the proposition you will discover it in 
the one condition that you are to deposit 
the sum of $10 for an outfit. After you 
have parted with this amount of money 
you will find that you then have the 
privilege of selling such books as the 
Silverton Pub. Co. are interested in 
distributing, on a commission basis, and 
if you don’t like this sudden change in 
the proposition they have your $10 any¬ 
how and you will have a merry time in 
getting it back. The scheme is very 
similar to the one worked by the old 
Globe Association in selling groceries, 
which has been exposed so many times 
in The R. N.-Y. It will be remembered 
that the Government prosecuted the 
manager of the Globe Association for 
fraudulent use of the mails, but lie 
escaped conviction on a technical court 
ruling. 
Do you know anything of the American 
Grand Rapids Furniture Co., of 142 to 154 
East 32d St., New York? They claim to 
be incorporated under the State laws of 
New York with a capital of $50,000. They 
have agents going through this town get¬ 
ting people to join a club, each person 
that joins pays 25 cents each week, but not 
to exceed $17.50 in total amount, and two 
persons are selected each week to receive 
their furniture, gold watches, jewelry or 
silvern-are. as they wish, regardless of the 
amount of money they have paid in. and 
when they have been seleceted they do not 
have to pay in any more. The agent told 
different people, to got them to join, that he 
would fix it so they would not have to pay 
more than $2 before their names would be 
drawn and then they could get their furni¬ 
ture without paying any more. This man 
collected the first two weeks, the third and 
fourth weeks another man collected, the 
fifth week the first man came to collect and 
he told one person that his name had been 
selected to draw, and the bookcase he had 
selected wohld be delivered to him the next 
Saturday. It did not come, and the next 
week still another man came. He denied 
that that person's name had been drawn, 
and even said that the agent had not said 
that his name had been drawn. It looks 
like a swindle to me. Do you know their 
game? e. l. w. 
New Jersey. 
We have had a number of inquiries 
from subscribers regarding the above 
and similar schemes for the sale of fur¬ 
niture. We have not been able to ex¬ 
amine any of the literature of this scheme, 
but from what this subscriber and others 
have written about it, there seem to 
be elements of chance in the scheme 
which would not make it permissible to 
•be carried through the United States 
mails. Subscribers will do well to be¬ 
ware of agents presenting this sort of 
scheme for disposing of furniture or any 
other commodity. 
Sharpen your farm tools 
with artificial 
diamond wheels 
m 
Sharpen the bluntest axe in 3 minutes. Grind your 
plow points, sickles, discs and all your tools on 
wheels of Dimo-Grit, the “wheel for steel”—the fast 
cutting artificial diamond sharpening substance. 
These wonderful wheels turning 3000 revolutions per 
minute on Luther Farm Grinders, cut steel as emery 
cuts copper—no water needed, no danger of drawing 
temper—25 times faster than the grindstone, 10 
times more efficient than emery. 
9 
Luther Farm Tool Grinder 
is a great labor saving machine, has 30 different attachments from which to select, including 
rip saw, jig saw, forge, milk tester, horse clipper, etc. Built all of metal—has enclosed shaft 
drive like an automobile, dust-proof bearings, patent tool rests and attachments for all kinds of 
difficult grinding and sharpening. 
Writ a (nr (ran 40 nncrA hnnlr which explains all and select an outfit for 30 days 
VTIllc HU page UUUIi free trial. No money needed in advance. Write today. 
LUTHER GRINDER MFG. CO., 77 Stroh Bldg., Milwaukee, Wis. 
SAW WOOD 
Saw your own 
wood and save 
time, coal 
and money; 
your neigh¬ 
bors and 
MAKE 
to $15 a DAY 
Hundred* are doing it 
with an APPLETON WOOD SAW 
We make 7 styles—steel or wood frame 
—stationary or mounted on truck with 
gasoline engine, making a 
"Portable Wood-SaWing Rig 
Rigid frame, lathe-turned arbor, running 
in self adjusting, non-heating, dust-proof 
boxes makes our saw frames simple, 
strong, safe and succesful. 
We also make the famous 
FRICTION-DRIVE DRAG SAW 
APPLETON CIRCULAR LOG SAW. 
Ask for our complete fret catalog. 
APPLETON MFG. CO. 
627 Fargo St., Batavia, III. 
SAVE HALF THE LABOR 
in sawing -wood. You can do 
this and at the same time, 
cut more wood in a given 
time than in any other way 
by using 
T«I IRELAND WOOD 1 
SAWING MACHINE 
Table is mounted on grooved rolls, moves 
easily—cut of saw is down instead of 
against the operator as in old style ma¬ 
chines. Must be seen to be appreciated. We also 
manufacture Drag Saws. Saw and Shingle Mills. 
Get our prices on CnnTns Belting:; they will surprise you. 
Send for prices and full information. “Ask about Hoists." 
Ireland Machine & Foundry Co.,14 State St.,Norwich,N.Y. 
— Jleit) o/foUand' 
Free 
Trial 
S AW S 
Hard-wood or all-steel saw frames with 
latest improvements. They arc time and 
money savers. Large rollers return table 
automatically. Patent rock shaft prevents 
saw breakage. Many other practical, ex¬ 
clusive features. Catalog free. Our low 
prices will surprise vou. 
NEW HOLLAND' MACHINE C0. t 
Bo* 41, New Holland, Pa. 
c 
Dead or alive?” 
Which has greater fgg 
strength and resisting 
power—a dead tree or 
a live one? 
Every man who an¬ 
swers that question right 
knows why Genasco 
stays waterproof. The 
natural oils of Trinidad 
Lake asphalt give 
Genasco its lasting life. 
Mineral or smooth surface. Sev¬ 
eral weights. Genasco comes in rolls 
ready to lay—no experience needed. 
Ask your dealer for Genasco. Write 
us for the illustrated Good Roof Guide 
Book and samples—free. 
Ask for the Kant-leak Kleet pack¬ 
ed in the roll of smooth surface roof¬ 
ing. It makes the seams water-tight 
without cement, and prevents nail 
leaks. 
The Barber Asphalt Paving Company 
Largest producers of asphalt, and largest 
manufacturers of ready roofing in the world 
Philadelphia 
New York San Francisco 
WFI I DRILLING 
Yr £/ L L MACHINES 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells in any kind or soil or rock. Mounted on 
wheels or on sills. With enginesorliorse powers. Strong, 
simple and durable. Any mechanic can operate them 
easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS.. Ithaca. N. Y. 
Forged- 
edge 
Disks 
These Harrows Are For 
Intensive Tillage 
Remember, the CUTAWAY disk is the original 
“cutaway”; the CUTAWAY double action harrow, 
the original double action; the CUTAWAY reversible har¬ 
row, the original reversible; the CUTAWAY extension head 
harrow, the original extension head. CUTAWAY double 
action harrows have all four of their gangs 
compactly hung on one rigid main frame, V/7/ / M 
which is the secret of successful double vfff'CIrrll 
action harrows. That is one reason why 
double action harrows grind and pulverize the soil 
finer than other harrows. CUTAWAY double 
actions are all equipped with the detachable 
jointed tongue, which can be removed or replaced 
in one minute, making the harrow into either 
a tongue or tongueless machine as desired. Both 
the single action and the doubleaction are made 
with extension heads for orchard work, and can 
be closed for regular field work. They are 
equipped with the famous Cl-ARK cutlery 
steel disks, forged sharp, and CLARK hard- 
mood journals. And remember, CUTAWAY 
single action harrows are reversible. Write 
for catalog, “Intensive cultivation. 
Cutaway Harrow Co. 839 Main street, Hi{£f£anum 9 Conn. 
Makers of the original CLARK ** Cutaway implements 
All Cutaway 
Single Action 
Harrows Are 
Reversible 
